Twisted Lies (Twisted, #4)

by Ana Huang

I liked the idea of it. When I read a romance book, watched a romantic scene, or saw cute couples at dinner, a yearning for something similar tugged at my gut. But once the book or movie was over and I reentered the bright light of reality, the yearning disappeared.

She thought her rent at the Mirage was low? That was nothing compared to how she lived rent-free in my fucking head.

“What they said was bullshit. It’s not your fault. Millions of people post every fucking thing they do on social media every day. It doesn’t mean they’re inviting people to harass them. Would you blame a woman for being assaulted if she was wearing a short skirt?” She flinched. “Of course not.” “Exactly. People make their own choices. You have the right to live your life how you want without worrying about creeps who can’t curb their worst impulses.”

Our moral compasses pointed in different directions, but we both wore masks to shield our true natures from the world.

“I would spend more time improving your chess skills and less worrying about other people’s business, Josh. I’ve beaten Alex in chess. Have you?” Josh’s smile disappeared. “What do you mean, you’ve beaten Alex in chess? When did you play chess together?” He whipped his head toward Alex. “You’ve been playing chess with someone else?”

Josh and Alex have more tension than Alex and Ava I swear 😭

Trust me.” That was the scary part. I did.

“But there’s a second issue, which is that people use love so often it’s lost all meaning. They love their dogs, cars, happy hours, and their friend’s new haircut. They say love is this grand, wonderful thing when it’s the opposite. It’s useless at best and dangerous at worst.” “There are different types of love. The way I love fashion is different from the way I love my friends.”

I didn’t ask questions about what he did in the five hours he was gone. The world wasn’t black and white, no matter how much I wished it were. And sometimes, we found our happiness in the shades of gray.

The guys would never admit it, but their insults and arguments were how they showed affection for each other.